Hinged finger adjustable pipe rack



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HINGE-D FINGER ADJUSTABLE PIPE RACK Filed March 2, 1942 Z-Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Feb. 23, 1943. c. L. DECKARD HINGED INGER ADJUSTABLE PIPE RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2, 1942 Char/e5 A Dec/rare INVENTOR M ORNEY Patented Feb. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES ?TNT ()FFICE HINGED FINGER ADJUSTABLE PIPE RACK Charles L. Deckard, Tulsa, Okla.

Application March 2, 194.2, Serial No. 433,043

Claims.

The invention relates to hinged finger pipe racks, and has for its object to provide a device of this kind comprising a supporting member adapted to be attached to the legs of a derrick, and provided with a plurality of hinged fingers adjustably mounted on the support and adapted to be successively hinged downwardly to operative position for the reception of drill pipe sections.

A further object is to provide a drill pipe rack so constructed that the drill pipe sections can be stacked in the corner of the derrick within the fingers and with the sections inclining inwardly at substantially the inclination of the side of the derrick and outwardly in relation to the adjacent angular side of the derrick, thereby facilitating assembling of the sections in the fingers, and at the same time utilizing a minimum amount of space on the derrick floor for the lower ends of the pipe sections and with said lower ends spaced outwardly from the center of the floor.

A further object is to form the rack frame or finger support from spaced channeled members between which the shanks of the rack finger supports extend, and to provide the rack finger supports with angular members adapted to be received between the channel members of the supports for preventing rotation of the finger supports.

A further object is to provide the outer ends of the finger supports with hinged fingers which may assume a horizontal or a vertical position as desired, and means cooperating with the hinged fingers for maintaining the fingers in operative or inoperative position.

A further object is to provide a transversely movable monkey board beneath the fingers and adapted to be adjusted to various positions so the operator may place the drill pipe sections within the hinged fingers progressively from one side of the derrick inwardly and manipulate the hinged fingers downwardly as they are desired for racking purposes.

A further object is to provide the ends of the finger support with attaching means whereby it may be attached to the derrick legs at various elevations.

With the above and other objects in View the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of a portion of conventional form of well derrick, showing the pipe rack applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through one corner of the derrick, showing the pipe rack therein.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View through the derrick, showing the relation of the rack to the center of the well.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the rack finger support with a portion of one of the fingers extended.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the rack finger support, showing the hinged finger in raised position.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates the legs of a conventional form of oil well derrick, and which legs are connected together by girders 2 in the usual manner. Disposed to the outside of the legs I are angularly positioned 'sway braces t. The above structure is conventional, and the legs I incline upwardly and inwardly as shown, hence it will be seen that the lower end of the derrick is of a greater cross sectional area adjacent the platform than at points above, and that the pipe rack hereinafter set forth is specifically designed so the drill pipe sections can be stacked with their lower ends adjacent the side of the fioor, thereby allowing the maximum floor space adjacent the center of the well at 5.

Disposed to the outer side of two of the legs I is a horizontally disposed supporting member 6 for the rack fingers. The supporting member 6 is formed from spaced channels 1 having their flanges upwardly and downwardly disposed and their ends connected together as at 8. It will be noted that the support 6 is longer than the width of the derrick, hence there is latitude of adjustment upwardly and downwardly so the support can be accurately positioned. The support 6 is disposed to the outside of the sway braces 4 and has interposed between its ends and the legs I spacer members 9, and the ends are secured to the legs by means of U-shaped bolts Ill, the arms H of which extend through the slot between the channels 7, clearly shown in Figure 2, and it will be seen that when the nuts l2 are tightened the support is rigidly attached to the legs, and the spacer blocks may be easily adjusted inwardly and outwardly according to the position or elevation of the support 6, on the on the monkey board while manipulating the fingers of the rack and the drill pipe sections l6, hereinafter set forth.

Each finger ll of the finger rack terminates in a hooked end [8 and has its inner end hingedly mounted on a pin I9 which extends transversely through the outer chambered end '20 of each rack finger support 2|. It will be noted that when the finger is in lowered position as shown in Figure 4 it engages the bottom of the chamber and limited to a substantially horizontal position. When not in use the finger is swung upwardly after the removal of the pin 23 and then the pin 23 is again placed in position as shown in Figure 5 for maintaining the finger in a vertical position when not in use. E'ach pin 23 is'provided with an angularly disposed arm 24 which is received within a spring clip 25 for preventing displacement thereof. 7

To prevent loss of the pin it is provided with a chain 26.

Welded or formed integral with the finger support 2! is a lock lug 21 having arectangular shaped portion 28, on one side thereof, which fits into the slot Ill, and positivelyprevents rotation of the support 2| at all times when the fingers are in raised position as shown in Figure 1, and the hooks 18 in the same plane when the fingers are in a horizontal position as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The portion Zla of the support 20 extends through the slot l0 and has threaded on its outer end a nut 29 which is tightened against a washer 30 on the outer side of the finger support 6, therefore it will be seen that each finger is independently and positively anchored to the I support 6 so the fingers can be easily and quickly manipulated without danger of partial rotation thereof. 7 V

Disposed within the derrick, adjacent one side thereof, is a pipe rest 3|, against which the pipe sections [6 are rested in a slightly outwardly inclinedpositiomshown in Figure 1. In positioning the pipe section It, this is ,done from outwardlyinwardly. The first finger I1 is swung downwardly and then the first pipe section is placed inits inclined position against the rest 3|, and in a position so it also inclines inwardly in a plane substantially longitudinally in relation to the leg l, shown in Figure 1. This allows the lower end of the pipe section to be adjacent the outer side of the derrick floor, thereby crowding the lower ends of the sections towards the side of the fioor and away from the center thereof. After the first pipe section has been placed within the finger in engagement with the hook l8 successive sections are placed within the hook until the hook is filled; then the next finger is hinged downwardly for the reception of the next series of drill pipe sections.

This operation continues until the rack is filled. As the rack fingers are progressively filled, the operator, standing on the monkey board, shifts said monkey board through the medium of an oscillating handle 32 which cooperates with a rack bar 33.

From the above it will be seen that a finger V rack is provided for drill pipe sections, which is simple in construction, positive in its operation and one which may be easily and quickly applied to a conventional form of derrick. without varying the construction thereof. It will also be seen that the lower ends of the drill pipe can be set a maximum distance from the center of the derrick floor, thereby affording more working space thereon.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A finger rack comprising a horizontalsupport adapted to be secured to derrick legs, said support having a longitudinally extending slot therein, finger supports extending through said slot in spaced relation, fingers hingedly connected to the inner ends of said. finger supports and adapted to move from an inoperative to 0perative position, and means for holding said fingers in operative and inoperative positions 2. A devic as set forth in claim 1 including 7 means carried by the finger supports andextending into the support slot for preventing rotation of said finger supports.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 including a chambered inner end carried by the finger support and in which the finger is hingedly mounted and pin means extending through said chambered inner end and adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of the finger for holding the same in raised inoperative position or in lowered operative position. 7 V

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 including hooked ends carried by the free ends of the hinged fingers. r V

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 including means whereby said finger supports may be longitudinally adjusted in the slot of the support.

CHARLES L. DECKARD. 

